part0010

Valene led the way through a small path in the forest. Daren had wrangled Raikidan into helping him cook, though Valene and I got a good laugh when he admitted he didn’t know the first thing about food prep, let alone cooking, and yet Daren insisted he’d still be of some use. This allowed Valene and me some much needed time together.

The Guardian had stopped by to assess our presence, but we sent him along rather quickly. The brunette hummed a tune that made me smile. I was glad to see her so happy. She’d lost much in her twenty-some years; I thought one day that joy would disappear.

The trees around us thinned and then opened up. My breath caught at the sight before us—a gorgeous meadow filled with all sorts of flowers and trees. Valene called it a garden, which wasn’t untrue for someone touched by the elements of earth, though most would find it too large to be one. “It doesn’t look any different than the day I left.”

Valene’s smile on her face widened. “You mean it?”

I nodded as I smiled back at her. “You’ve done a wonderful job taking up this task. I’m sure she’s proud of you.”

Valene looked out at the meadow. “I hope so. I’ve tried so hard to follow her notes she left me. I’ve managed some things, but there are others that I’m struggling with.” She looked at me. “I’m trying to make fragrances like her too. They’re not as good, but people like them, so I know I’m on the right track.”

I watched her for a moment. “Maka’shi said something about memory loss. I’m guessing it was when that Hunter attacked you. Is it the source of your struggle?”

She nodded slowly. “I had gaping holes in my memory. I couldn’t remember how to walk the spiritual plane, work with the elements, or even remember certain people’s names.” Her eyes welled up with tears. “I even forgot what my mother looked like. Over the years it’s come back in pieces, but I still can’t remember her face. I remembered you quicker than her.” She looked up at me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “How horrible of a daughter am I that I can’t even remember her face?”

I cupped her cheek with my hand and wiped a tear away with my thumb. “Don’t be like that. It’s not your fault.”

“I hate myself! She tried so hard to raise me and I can’t even remember her face.” Valene looked away from me. “I’m so ashamed I can’t even bear the thought of visiting her on the spiritual plane.”

I frowned and placed my hand on her shoulder. “Do you remember me telling you about my mother?”

She nodded. “I remember a little. You said you’re one of the few who got to know their mother and you lost her some time ago, right?”

“Yes. So long ago that the only things that remind me of her face are my memories, and a photograph I have of her. But memories are fragile, and I don’t have that photograph on me anymore. Her face has started to fade from my mind after all these years. Does it upset me? Of course. But I’m not going to beat myself up over it. My mother would understand that memories are fragile and they fade. She wouldn’t hold it against me for naturally forgetting, because she loved me.”

I pulled Valene closer and held her against me, stroking her hair. “Just as Valessa loved you. You meant more to her than Lumaraeon itself.”

Valene wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my chest. “Thank you.”

The two of us remained in this position for a few moments longer until she pulled away, wiping away her tears and taking in a deep breath. “I missed having you around to confide in. Life has been a little lonely without you.”

I poked her in the side. “You sure? ‘Cause I’m sure you don’t miss how much of a pain in the ass I can be.”

She giggled. “Yeah, I’m sure.” She touched the necklace with the wrapped stone. “I couldn’t bear to take this off when I remembered you. It’s one of the few things you were able to give me that hasn’t gone missing over the years.”

I smiled. “I’m glad you still love it. I remember the smile you had that whole week after I gave it to you. I think you showed everyone in town your new gift, at least three times.”

Valene laughed. “Only three?”

I laughed as well and then looked around. “We should probably get to picking flowers.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. What do you think of a vase filled with flowers that will compliment honeysuckle? I know they’re your favorite.”

I nodded. “I don’t hate that idea.”

She smiled wide and ran off. I went my own way, looking for any flowers that caught my eyes. Valene knew the best ones for floral arrangements, but even if I picked some that wouldn’t work, she’d use them for something else.

I cut several stems of stargazer lilies and found a patch of freesia. I had a particular fondness for those two, along with honeysuckle and hyacinth. I plucked a few stems and inhaled the lovely scent. So beautiful…

I then stood up, planning to find Valene, only for my attention to be caught by a rose bush. Well, bush wasn’t the right word. Tree was really the right word for what this was, and not just any type of tree. The roses this tree produced were black with red tips. I had never seen such a color on a growing bush, or in this case, tree. Valessa had shown me a special species of rose that produced orange-yellow flowers with dark orange tips, and another that produced white with dark red tips. She even showed me how she prepared certain white flowers with colored water to make unnatural colored flowers to sell, but never had I seen a rose like these ones. I walked closer and reached up to touch the petals to find them velvet soft. Well, it’s real, so how is it done?

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I looked back at Valene, who carried an armful of flowers. “Mother’s book talks about this tree. She searched high and low for the right place to start up a field with any flora she could possibly need. One day she came across this meadow. It had all sorts of beautiful wild flowers—and this rose tree. She had no idea why it was here, how it came to have such a unique coloring, but something told her she had finally found what she had been seeking.”

She touched the leaves.

“Her notes go on about how she had her ups and downs during her training—how she would struggle to keep certain flowers alive while making others grow too much. Yet through it all, this rose bush remained the same, as if to encourage her to keep trying. It definitely helped. Everyone says how great of an earth shaman she was, and so many earth shamans strive to be as good as her. Even though my memory is damaged, I do have a vague memory of her working.”

“I was supposed to be studying, but I didn’t want to because it was boring, and I wanted to be doing what she was doing. I knew she’d get upset if she found out, so I quietly peered around the doorframe of the root cellar watching her. She was so happy, humming away while she worked. That memory keeps me following the same path she walked.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t doubt you’ll be able to do even greater things than she ever could.”

“Of course I do.”

She smiled. “Thanks.” She then frowned. “I wish I could remember what happened after that memory. I don’t know if she ever caught me or not.”

“I did.” I tried not to react to the ghostly voice. I didn’t need to scare Valene. I was sure it was too soon for her to know her mother was around. “And I wasn’t mad in the least.”

Valene smiled at me. “You can take a rose or two off. I haven’t taken any in some time, so it’ll be good for it.”

I nodded my thanks and drew a dagger to cut off a flower with the stem attached and carefully went about removing the thorns. When it was safe to hold, I tucked it behind my ear. In the past I would have never dreamed of putting a flower in my hair. It’d tempt me to feel more beautiful than I knew I was, but today I allowed it. It felt good to believe, even for a moment, that I was.

I stood up and jerked my head as I walked away. “Let’s head back. Unless you think we need more flowers.”

Valene looked at the rose tree as she tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing an ear that was slightly different from that of an ordinary human ear. They were small, like those of an ordinary human, but they were shaped similarly to that of a nu-human.

To someone with little to no racial knowledge, they may not notice, or think she was a half-elf. But I knew better.

Valene, satisfied with whatever she saw in the tree, nodded in acknowledgement and joined me by my side. “I have a question. Is it still okay for me to call you Laz?”

She looked away from me. “I know only certain people get to call you that, and it’s been so long…”

I ruffled her hair. “Of course you can.”

She smiled wide and the two of us headed back to the inn. When we arrived, there were quite a few more bodies inside the common area than before. Several men and boys of elven decent with a mix of umber and olive skin tones, eight in total, lounged about—some on the tables, while others were on actual furniture. Several of the men had looks similar to those of the shaman tribe to the south—tattoos, piercings, and partially shaven heads and all. All of them noticed us immediately, and we were accosted by excited shouts of “Eira!” and “Laz’shika!”.

Valene glanced my way, a smirk on her lips. “Someone is popular with the men these days.” I rolled my eyes and she looked at the men who were sitting on the tables. “Unfortunately, some of these men have no manners. Off the tables! I know your mother taught you better than that.”

The lot of them grumbled but complied with her order. A whimsical laugh came from the kitchen and moments later a lithe elven woman with umber skin and ash brown hair decorated with colorful feathers entered the common area, carrying a large tray of food. A young boy, no older than six, tagged along, his hand clutching her dress. “Yes, as a matter of fact I did.” The woman set down the tray and smiled at me. “Welcome back, Eira.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Alena. It’s good to see you.” I looked around at the others. “All of you. Though I see a few are missing, as is your father.”

“I’m afraid Del’karo is off on a job and won’t be back for some time,” Alena said. “He brought two of our sons with him to gain experience.”

I counted how many children they had, an absurd number if you asked me, especially for elves. “You’re still missing one.”

She nodded. “Ne’kall. He’s decided to stay in the South Tribe. We visit him every now and then; Del’karo more so as his jobs allow for that. He’s happy and his family is healthy and doing well.”

I approached her, placing the flowers I had down on the table. “That’s good. I know his mysterious disappearance only to reappear married all those years ago set a wedge between you two I thought would never mend.”

Her eyes twinkled, and her lips turned up. “Yes, well he’s now the first to make me a grandmother, so I have to forgive him.” I laughed and the two of us embraced in a friendly hug. She then squinted her eyes at some of her other older sons. “Now if only some of my other boys would follow his lead and find someone to settle down with so I can free up some space in my home.”

Several hung their heads with a sigh while others rolled their eyes. I laughed, understanding the complexity of elven families to some degree. “Well, they can’t take all the blame. You and Del’karo reproduce like rabbits.”

The room roared with laughter. Even Alena found my words funny. Though the young boy with her was another story. “Don’t say mean things about my mommy!”

Alena patted him on the head. “She’s not being mean, sweetie, don’t worry.”

I crouched down to get a good look at the boy. He looked a lot like his father, with the lighter olive skin tone and black and red hair, but had his mother’s eyes. The young boy tried to be brave and meet my stare, but the longer I watched him, the more his nerves took over, and in the end, he hid behind his mother. “You’ve gotten big, Sethal. You weren’t even old enough to walk when I last saw you.”

He peeked around his mother but still remained shy. I smiled and held a bent finger up to my lips to discretely pull an ember from my mouth. With a flick of the wrist I controlled the fire to take the shape of a butterfly. Sethal’s eyes went wide. “You make fire like Daddy and big brother Ne’kall.”

I smirked. “Your father taught me all sorts of tricks to control my fire. And I used to tussle with your brother from time to time before he left.”

He stared at me with eyes filled with awe and wonder. Before I could do much else to impress the child, one of his older brothers came up and pulled me to my feet in a headlock. “Yeah, now she gets to deal with the rest of us.”

I pulled against his grip, though not putting a whole lot into the effort. “Better let go, Tesne, or you’ll regret it.”

“You may be a nu-human, but I’ve been training as a Guard for some time. I can handle you.”

I chuckled. “Suit yourself.”

No longer holding back, I easily pulled myself out of his grip and tackled him, pinning him to the ground. He struggled, but was no match for my nu-human enhancements.

“Brother, I’ll save you!” Sethal declared before jumping on my back.

I cried out in fake pain as he wrapped his little arms around my neck and rolled off Tesne, careful not to crush the young boy latched onto me. “Too strong!”

Sethal held on tighter as I moved around. He giggled the longer he managed to stay locked in place, and I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. Eventually I managed to grab onto him and pulled him into my lap. He looked up at me with squinted eyes; a large toothy grin spread across his face.

My attention was pulled from him when someone exited the kitchen. Raikidan, a platter of food in his hands, watched us all. “Is that dinner?”

He looked at the food. “No. It’s a snack. Or so Daren says.”

A snack? I sighed and raised my voice so Daren could hear me. “Daren, you’d better not be going overboard!”

“I never go overboard, lass,” Daren called back.

I pinched my nose, my voice lowering. “Meaning you’re going overboard and we’re going to be waiting a while.” I moved Sethal from my lap and stood up. “I’m going to use this time to wash up, then. I could use a warm bath.”

The boy elf frowned. “Aww, but I want to keep playing.”

I rubbed his head. “We will. I just need to take the time to not smell like a three-week-old fish locker.”

The men around me roared with laughter. Valene, who had gone about making her floral arrangements, looked up from her work. “Oh please, Laz. You smell fine, especially for someone who has been on the run. You look like you haven’t brushed your hair or eaten a good meal in some time, but that’s to be expected. Trust me, if you smelled like a fish locker, I would have made you bathe hours ago.”

I scratched my head. “Yeah, well, I’d still like to enjoy a hot bath. It’s been too long.”

“I need to speak to you in private anyway, Eira,” Raikidan said.

What did he want to talk to me about?

Valene took great interest in the mini exchange. “Give me another three seconds and I’ll have a floral arrangement for you to bring upstairs.”

I nodded and she ran off into the kitchen.

“Oh, Eira, before you go,” Alena said. “I’d like your input. I told your friend here that he could benefit from a haircut, to blend in better to the city, if him being human won’t be an issue in itself. But he wasn’t sure on the idea. What do you think?”

I shrugged. “It’s up to him. You’ll find all kinds of people in the city, so he could wear it however he likes, and no one would bat an eye.”

“With his facial structure, though, wouldn’t you say shorter hair would be better?”

“I’ve seen men with his structure pull off long hair. I’m honestly indifferent to all this.”

She looked to Raikidan. “Well, if you change your mind, I have plenty of experience handling hair. I never thought having boys would require such skills, but here we are.”

I snickered when some of her sons—who were known for changing their hair styles often—rolled their eyes.

Valene returned with a small glass vase filled with water. Arranging some lilies with a few other flora, she handed the arrangement to Raikidan with a smile. He took them, but clearly wasn’t picking up on her cues, disappointing her. Raikidan walked over to me and handed the vase off, Valene’s mood souring even more. Yep, definitely have to talk to her.

Now holding the flower arrangement, I headed upstairs. Raikidan followed, glancing back behind us a few times. When we were sufficiently away from the others, he spoke, but with a lowered voice. “What’s up with that female you know? She’s acting weird around me.”

“So, you have noticed. I was starting to wonder.” I chuckled. “She has a small crush on you. Don’t worry about it, though. I’ll set her straight without revealing what you are.”

His brow wrinkled in confusion. “What is a ‘crush?’”

I shook my head slightly. “It’s when you’re attracted to someone in some way and wish to pursue it, but aren’t ready to find out if they would like to have a relationship of that level with you.”

“Oh, we don’t do that, so that doesn’t make sense to me.”

“Don’t you start asking questions,” the voice in my head warned. “You risk attachment.”

I pursed my lips, my curiosity getting the better of me. “So, how does it work for you? You find a dragon with good genetic qualities you wish to procreate with and then go your separate ways?”

His face twisted, and his upper lip curled as if he took offense to my words. “No. We’re strictly monogamous. We just know our perfect match when we meet them.”

“Uh huh…” I had a hard time believing any of that. Especially that monogamous crap.

Raikidan eyed me for a moment. “Humans aren’t monogamous?”

I shrugged. “Some are, some aren’t. It’s a matter of choice or tradition for us. And some are better at it than others.”

He looked at me, but didn’t say anything as we reached the top of the stairs. There was nothing special about the second floor—a long hallway with several doors leading to rooms. I opened the first one on the right and entered the room. It didn’t look any different from when I’d been here last.

The room was a moderate size, with tan walls, king size bed, and a bookshelf and vanity on a far wall, adorned with a red-curtained window looking out into the town. To my right was the door to the bathroom.

I placed the vase of flowers down on the vanity and sat down on the bed, already relishing the soft surface. “So, you wanted to talk to me before I disappeared for my much-needed bath.”

He leaned against a wall nearby. “For someone who says they are incapable of feeling happiness, you do a lot around these people. You have rarely stopped smiling, and I heard you laugh for the first time.”

Shit… I shrugged. “I’ve learned to fake such things. It keeps others off my back. I pretend I’m someone I’m not, and no one bothers me.”

My dragon companion narrowed his eyes. “You really expect me to believe that?”

I got to my feet and looked out the window. “Do, don’t, I don’t care either way. It doesn’t change anything. You just become like the others. Thinking you know me when you don’t, or thinking you can change me as if I’m fixable. Reality is, there is no fixing me. I came to terms with that a long time ago.”

A long silence filled the air until Raikidan spoke again. “The broodmother downstairs… was she correct in telling me I’d blend in better if I cut my hair?”

I looked back at him. “Broodmother? Are you talking about Alena?” He nodded and I chuckled. “We really need to work on your vocabulary. That would help you blend in better than a haircut. And a race change, too.”

“I still need time to understand your nu-human form. Shouldn’t be much longer.”

I nodded. “Good. I don’t want your lack of understanding to get in the way of the goal.”

He watched me for a moment. “Would it please you if I cut my hair?”

His question took me aback. Why did he go back to this? And why is he concerned about my opinion on the matter? “Like I told Alena, I don’t care either way. It’s your hair. I don’t know why it’s such a big concern to you.”

Raikidan averted his gaze. “If I cut it, it won’t grow back. It’s a one-shot deal.”

My brow furrowed. “What?”

“Our hair stops growing two decades after adolescence.” He rubbed the small bit of facial hair on his chin. “That’s how I ended up with this. I didn’t like the full beard, so my mother took a blade to it and cut most of it off. This wasn’t so bad, so I kept it.”

I cocked my head and crossed my arms. “Well, that explains why I’ve never seen five o’ clock shadow on your face these past few days.”

I approached him. “If you’re nervous about the outcome, Alena is good at styling hair. She’s had a lot of practice and she knows all types of hairstyles, including common ones worn in cities.” I smirked. “I’m guessing you don’t want a mohawk or partially shaven head like some of her kids. Rest assured, if that’s not what you want, she’ll listen.”

Before I made it to him, I turned for the bathroom. “I’m not going to tell you what to do with your hair. That is solely your choice, and not my business to stick my nose into.”

I closed the door behind me, immersing myself in the steam-filled room. Unlike the modern look to the bedroom, the bath had a natural appearance. Vines crawled up the stone walls, and the floor was made up of natural soil with beautiful plants growing from it. The small cobblestone path I stood on led to a stone bathing pool and a close-by stone sink with a pile of fresh towels and mirrors that were wrapped in what looked to be roots.

Topping off the bizarre but spectacular view was the room’s main light source. It was an artificially placed natural light source that closely resembled the sun. Thinking back, I remembered the baths in this village were all like this, and at night, the light source would become a full moon. I had always wondered how they did it.

I headed over to the mirror display first to get a good look at my condition. I groaned at the mess before me. My usually bright, gold-ringed, emerald-green eyes were now dull, and my violet hair was losing its luster. I looked pale and malnourished, and I had dark shadows under my eyes. My paler-than-normal complexion made the freckles that banded across my nose and around my shoulders stand out even more. One look at me and you’d know I’ve been running for a while.

Pushing away from the sink, I stripped off my tattered clothing and sank into the warm bath water. A content sigh escaped my lips. Grabbing the nearby shampoo, I lathered up my hair. The packed soil and natural oils loosened from my hair, and I enjoyed the floral scent of the shampoo as it wafted into my nose. As I cleaned my hair, I started to hum.

At first, I hummed only random notes, but they soon came together and formed the one song I knew well. My voice echoed around the room, giving me a sense of comfort. I just hoped, if he’d stalled in leaving the room, Raikidan couldn’t hear me. I wasn’t the type to sing around others, but when I was alone, I was more than happy to, especially this particular song.

After some time, I didn’t know how long I had been in the bath, but I realized I was taking longer than necessary when I had gone through the song for the tenth time or so, and my fingers had become prune-like. Sighing, I reluctantly climbed out of the bath and grabbed a towel. Wrapping the towel around my body, I retrieved my clothes and washed them as best I could.

I entered the bedroom as I carefully dried my clothes with fire, to find Raikidan hadn’t left the room like I’d expected him to. He sat on the bed, looking out the window, but his attention snapped to me the moment I entered.

He raised an eyebrow at my appearance and then held up a bundle of clothes. “These are for you. That Valene woman came up, said they belonged to you once… I think.”

I chuckled. I suspected he hadn’t listened to everything she’d said. She had a tendency to ramble when she crushed on a guy. I really needed to set her straight.

“Oh, she also said that some of your things are in the possession of some other woman. She suspects they’re the items you’re here to get before we head to the city.” Gods, I hope he’s not talking about Maka’shi. I really didn’t want to deal with her. “A woman you two mentioned before. Shva… something-or-other.”

I laughed. “Well, I can honestly say that was the most half-assed attempt I’ve ever heard. Her name is Shva’sika, and I’m glad that she has my things as opposed to Maka’shi. At least it means I’ll get them back. Though, depending on when she returns, I might make myself an even bigger enemy of Maka’shi’s.”

“What is with the two of you anyway?” he asked.

I shook my head. “You don’t want to get yourself involved with that mess. It makes no sense, and it’s just not worth your time.”

Raikidan nodded and handed the clothes to me, but when I took them, his expression changed to one of interest and slight confusion. He leaned in close to me and smelled the top of my head.

Perturbed, I jerked back. “What the hell are you doing? Personal space.”

“You smell different. Not a lot, but it’s noticeable.”

“It’s the scented shampoo.”

“It’s a product that helps clean hair. Most are scented as well.”

He tried to smell my head again, but I pushed him away. “I said personal space! You can’t just go up and smell random people.”

He frowned. “But you’re not random.”

I pinched my nose. He had a point, but it didn’t make his actions any less weird. “Regardless of that, you still can’t go up and smell people without their permission. It’s creepy.”

“I’m just trying to figure out why it’s such a subtle but powerful change. It’s as if it’s made of what you smell like.”

I tilted my head. “Is your sense of smell different in your natural form compared to this human one?”

He nodded. “It’s not as strong, but it’s strong enough.”

“Then you’ll like the nu-human form. Our sense of smell is better than an ordinary human.”

He tilted his head and eyed me for a moment. “How so?”

I leaned against the vanity, double-checking to be sure my towel was secure. “At a relatively close proximity, I can take your smell and break it up into layers that I can associate with other outside sources. Like, since you use fire, you have a sooty-ash smell mixed into your musky smell that most men have. There’s also a scent layer of mountain pines and petrichor, all coming from where you live, and you have a similar reptilian smell that the grekeleons have, but it’s also different. It has the smell of the sky mixed into it. And yes, I know, the sky doesn’t technically have a smell, but trust me, that’s the image I get from this part of that scent. Your dragon scent is so new to me I really can’t describe it any other way.”

His eyes widened with surprise. “You picked all that up?”

I nodded. “You also have slight floral scent, like honeysuckle, that sticks to you better than the forest smells. That tells me it’s part of your natural smells that won’t go away when you reside in a different environment for a long period of time.”

“Why honeysuckle, though?” he murmured, almost as if he were talking to himself. “There’s quite a bit in my territory, but…”

I shrugged. “Everyone has a unique part to their scent. Some have a floral scent, some fruity, and some have a scent that’s way out in left field.”

Raikidan’s brow rose. “What?”

I shook my head and opened the door. “Human expression. Don’t worry about it.”

He thought about this for a moment. “You, too, have that ash smell, though knowing you have control over fire, it doesn’t surprise me. But there’s a lighter smell I’m trying to identify.”

I regarded him for a moment. I couldn’t figure out why he was so hung up about this, but it got my curiosity ramped up into high gear. “Why not try to take a nu-human shape? Just for a moment to see if you can maintain it with the information you have?”

Raikidan rubbed his chin and then nodded. He closed his eyes and after few moments of silence, his ears elongated before my very eyes. Nothing else about his… impressive… physical appearance changed, but the difference was more internal than external.

My dragon ally opened his eyes and looked around, his eyes widening. “If I got this right, this is far different than the other human shape.”

I tilted my head. “Tell me what you’re experiencing.”

“My eyes are far crisper. And I can hear much farther. It’s much closer to my natural form.”

I nodded. “Sounds like you got those two right.”

He stared at me. “I can pick your scent up better, like you said. I catch the smell of deciduous trees because of the surrounding forest of this place and of my territory.” His brow furrowed. “But that shampoo scent still has me confused due to other scents I’m picking up on you.”

Raikidan came over to me. He leaned in, though he passed my head and aimed for more of my neck area, making me tense. A lump formed in my throat that I didn’t like. I went to move away, but Raikidan placed a hand on my arm and took a deep whiff of the scent by my neck. “There it is. It’s a light but sweet floral scent.”

Light and sweet? What flora had that kind of scent?

“I believe it’s freesia.” He pulled away and pointed to the vase of flowers. “I smell it coming from that.”

Freesia had a very unique scent that was hard to describe. I would have described it as a mix of clean sheeting in the wind, strawberries, and a hint of honeysuckle. But Raikidan came off as more simple in thought, so his description worked, too. He really thinks he detects freesia as a scent? “Well, the scent for the shampoo is freesia…”

“That explains why it confused me, since it’s enhancing your natural smell.” He tilted his head. “You look confused.”

I shrugged. “It’s nothing. In this form, are you able to pick up anything else?”

He shook his head. “That’s the one that confused me.”

I held my chin between my index finger and thumb. That couldn’t be right. He had to smell something else.

Raikidan narrowed his eyes. “Are you expecting something more? Or are you unhappy with the scents I mentioned?”

“No, it’s not that. I don’t think you’ve perfected the form. You should be able to pick up a racial smell.”

“Oh, I do smell that. You smell human for sure, like the young woman downstairs.”

I nodded. “Since humans and nu-humans are technically the same species, that makes sense.”

He stroked his chin. “But now that you bring it up, there is something different about your smell. It’s odd, but it smells reptilian.”

“That’s weird.” I shrugged. “But maybe it’s something I picked up from being around you.”

“Maybe…” His trailing words caught my attention, but his eyes showed his mind had gone somewhere else.

I took a deep breath. “You should either wash up or leave, because I’m going to change, and you’re not allowed to be in here while I do.”

Raikidan’s brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Because I demand my privacy when dressing.” I pointed toward the two doors. “Now go.”

His face stayed scrunched in confusion, but he did as told. Before disappearing into the bathroom, however, he cast a glance back over his shoulder. “I’ve decided to allow your broodmother friend to cut my hair as long as she doesn’t make me look stupid. Would you tell her that for me?”

I sighed. “Just call her a mother so your cover isn’t blown, and yes, I will do that.”

He nodded his thanks, his ears going back to a human look, and shut the door behind him. I let out a heavy sigh and leaned on the vanity. That had been one hell of a conversation. I looked down at the flower arrangement, my eyes pinning on the freesia Valene had tucked in.

“…a light but sweet floral scent…” Did he really think I smelled like this flower? I looked at my hand and flexed it. At least it’s what he focused on. And it’s good that I smell mostly human… I didn’t need any unwanted questions to come up. They’d complicate matters and there were some truths that were better left buried. I especially don’t need a dragon such as himself finding out these truths. If I had to lie to him to keep them safe, then so be it. It’s not like I haven’t given him a few already.

“He’s smarter than he looks, though,” the voice in my head warned. “You need to be extra careful.”

I did need to be more careful. Dropping my towel, I went about changing into the clothes Valene had brought up for me. I pulled out a hairbrush from the vanity drawer and brushed my tangled hair, drying it with a bit of fire at the same time. Once I threw my hair back up into my hairclip, I went through a small pouch containing earrings. Most belonged to me, others I guessed she’d thrown in as a gift. Pulling out small gold hoops and gemmed studs, as well as two gold clamps connected by a chain, I went about inserting them into the various holes I had, some causing a bit of pain as I had to reopen them a little. My right ear had a match for the left, excluding the clamps and the first piercing hole, which I left empty. I suspect Shva’sika has that earring… at least I hope she does.

My reflection in the vanity mirror looked a bit healthier after the bath. With a few nights of sleep on a nice bed, and some good meals, it wouldn’t be long before I was in peak shape again.

I headed downstairs to let Alena know of Raikidan’s decision.

I set the table as best I could with one hand. With Alena off helping Raikidan with his hair, her youngest had chosen me to cling to, and wanted me to carry him around on my back. I didn’t mind, though. He reminds me a lot of Ryder—only younger.

My chest pulsed with pain and I did my best not to react. I hoped he was okay after all these years.

Everyone stopped what they were doing when someone came down the stairs. Alena entered the common room, a smile on her face. “I’ve never seen such a drastic change in a person from one little haircut. Even I’m impressed by my work.”

Valene joined my side as Alena stepped aside and someone entered the room behind her. My eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Raikidan sporting his new haircut, without a shirt. Of course, he’s not wearing one…

His hair was no longer past his ears, and the center red portion had been cut and styled to be longer than either side of the black. Raikidan looked at me, holding my gaze, and a strange sensation fell over me while my mouth started to dry out.

“Look away from him,” the voice warned. “Now.”

Valene grabbed my arm, jerking me out of my trance, and kept her voice low while also keeping an eye on Raikidan. “He looks like a god. Where did you find a guy that perfect?”

Raikidan’s brow rose and some of Alena’s boys laughed. I looked at her with the same expression as Raikidan. “I’m not sure how to respond to that.”

One of Alena’s older sons, who I noticed had been eyeing Raikidan almost as much as Valene, spoke up. “I know how you could.”

One of her other sons snorted. “Yeah, like, where are his clothes?”

I laughed. “Just be glad he’s wearing pants.”

“Got a streaker for a man, do you?”

I went about continuing my task. “We’re not together.”

Alena watched me. “You haven’t made a comment on his hair. Do you disapprove of the haircut?”

I looked at her with a raised brow. “I’m not saying that at all. I’m indifferent to the change. He looked fine with the longer hair, and he looks fine now with the shorter hair. I don’t know why all of you are making a big deal out of it.”

Daren, hands full with a large serving platter, laughed as he left the kitchen. “Careful, lass, that kind o’ talk will get us tae think he’s not yer boyfriend an’ free for the takin’.”

I sighed. “He’s not my boyfriend, Daren. Just made that clear.”

“Ach, away ye go!” Daren waved me off and looked at the men in the room. “All right, lads, come help me serve the meal.”

He set down the platter he carried on one of the tables and re-entered the kitchen, expecting the men to help him without question, which they did. Sethal continued to hang onto me instead of helping his brothers.

Raikidan approached and held out a hand toward me. “Let me help you.”

I half-smiled and handed him the rest of the plates. “Thank you. I’ll set the utensils since they’re over your comprehension level.”

He smacked me in the arm and I chuckled. Sethal took interest in Raikidan’s presence then and Raikidan ruffled his hair before placing the last plates exactly how I had. Impressive. His ability to fit in after such a short time gave me an idea of how useful he would be in the city.

Valene and Alena also went to assist the men, though both looked at me in a way I didn’t understand as they passed. I brushed it off and focused on my task. Once Raikidan finished his, I showed him how to set out the utensils and supervised his work. While a mundane task, it helped me gauge his ability to follow directions and learn on the fly.

I did find myself taking in this new look of his. Valene wasn’t wrong, he was an impressive looking man… dragon. Whatever… And even though I told the others I was indifferent to the haircut, that was turning out to be a lie. He’s actually quite handsome…

I stopped that thought and focused on the last two plates that needed utensils. That idiotic road needed to be avoided. I’ve learned from past mistakes.

Once all the food was set out and everyone seated themselves, we dug in. Conversation went well. Nothing that happened five years ago came up, and I was filled in here and there on the goings-on of the village and any juicy gossip the more social individuals had. Valene’s infatuation with Raikidan showed throughout the whole meal. She’d be the first to hand him food, refill the water pitcher if it emptied just before he needed it, and just about anything else under the sun besides feed him herself. Most of us found it amusing, especially since he showed no signs of understanding any of her overly personal gestures.

Raikidan had surprised me with how well he managed to handle the group meal. At first he looked out of place—Alena even commented that it was a clear sign he’d lived alone for a long time. My dragon companion ran with that and crafted some story of living in the woods in isolation for personal reasons, and how his family never had meals like this when he had lived with them. Valene tried to pry a bit more into his personal life, but he either gave little information or deflected. It amused me.

Once dinner ended, we said goodbye to Alena and her family. Valene and I then cleaned up, making sure Daren didn’t lift a finger since he did all the cooking.

Valene smiled wide at Raikidan when he brought in the last of the plates, but frowned when he didn’t react to her. He promptly left so we could clean the dishes.

I shook my head. “We really need to talk about that.”

She grinned wickedly. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

“No. And I’m not dating him either. But you really shouldn’t set your sights on him. It’s not going to work out.”

She crossed her arms and glared at me. “And why not?”

“Besides the fact we’re not going to be here long, he’s got a lot of secrets. It’s why you couldn’t get anything out of him during dinner. Also, he isn’t noticing your interest in him. I think it’s safe to assume he isn’t going to.”

Her shoulders sagged as she dried a clean plate. “I know… I just… hoped maybe I could get someone’s attention for more than a single night. I figured if he’s good enough to travel with you, then he’d be a good candidate for something more.”

I patted her on the shoulder with a wet hand. “You have time. Don’t rush it. You’ll regret it if you do.”

“Says the woman who lives forever,” she muttered.

I snorted and scrubbed a plate. “I won’t live forever. I won’t even live as long as an elf.”

“Yeah, well, still longer than me.”

I shook my head. She’d learn one of these days she was better off not rushing if she wanted to make the right match. Hopefully this talk would help get her off Raikidan’s back and now I could focus on more important matters.